Rizzo statue isn't going anywhere anytime soon

It'll take a couple of years before the plaza where it sits is renovated.

PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Last November, after criticism by some who saw the statue of Frank Rizzo, in front of the Municipal Services Building, as a monument to racist police actions, Mayor Jim Kenney said the statue of the former mayor would be moved. But it looks like any relocation will not be immediate.

In a statement, Kenney's office said several new locations in South Philadelphia are being considered — and that the statue's move would be tied to the renovation of Thomas Paine Plaza. After the design and bid process, that's two to three years away.

This also pushes the issue out of the spotlight during a Kenney re-election bid.

In other Rizzo news, the city wants the Mural Arts program to continue to bear the cost of maintaining the Frank Rizzo mural at 9th and Montrose street in South Philly, while the city works to find private funding. The mural is frequently defaced, and the city says the cost to care for it would be too great a burden on taxpayers.